Climate Change is Here

The consequences of the erratic weather patterns that accompany climate change don’t just stop at a loss in comfort – they have the potential to manifest into survival threats in the form of drought, flood, and heat waves that have the ability to impact our food and water supply; once thought of as issues concerning the distant future, these dangers have now become a concern of the present. Last September the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations-sponsored committee that informs the government on the latest developments in climate change, warned that unless appropriate measures were taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide, irreversible climate change could occur in a matter of decades – at that point the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere was 393 ppm (according to scientist the safe amount is 350 ppm)- as of April 2014 the CO2 level in the atmosphere reached 401.33 ppm.

Despite the high confidence of the data that is reported by the IPCC, there are still some that question the legitimacy of climate change claims; but the evidence of climate change is all around us. When in doubt think about the devastation that Hurricane Sandy wreaked; or read up on the effects of the droughts California and Wichita County, Texas are experiencing. The reality is that “the debate is no longer about whether or not climate change is real; it is now time to act to solve the problem (David Suzuki Foundation on Climate change);” this call for action is what the “National Climate Assessment,” the latest report on climate change, is all about. Below you’ll find an article and accompanying media detailing some of the salient aspects of the report. When reading and viewing the media, try to think about how climate change has affected you.